Media and information-Winter-2021-22-EN

FACTS AND FIGURES
-> The Saas-Fee/Saas Valley holiday region is surrounded
by 18 four-thousand-metre peaks. The
ones in brackets are those not that are not visible
from the location: Allalin, Alphubel, Täschhorn, Dom,
Lenzspitz, (Nadelhorn), (Stecknadelhorn), (Hohberghorn),
(Dürrenhorn), (Strahlhorn), (Rimpfischhorn),
Weissmies, Lagginhorn.
-> From Hohsaas, 18 four-thousand-metre peaks can
be seen (‘18 Four-Thousanders’ circular theme trail
on Hohsaas).
-> The road to Saas-Fee was first built in 1951. They
decided to stay car-free. Saas-Fee has remained
that way ever since.
-> There are 300 electric vehicles in Saas-Fee (private
individuals cannot apply for an electric vehicle. Only
hotels, businesses, craftsmen and landlords with
over 20 beds).
-> The first tourists were from England. That’s why
there is an Anglican church in Saas-Fee (today the
Evangelical church). The Britannia hut was also built
by Englishmen in 1912 (hence the name Britannia).
-> Initially, there was only summer tourism (mountaineers,
researchers, botanists); winter tourism began
in 1951.
-> Johann Josef Imseng (statue in front of the church)
was a tourism pioneer and pastor. He built the first
hotel in the Saas Valley (in Saas-Grund) in the middle
of the 19th century. Johann Josef Imseng was the
first Swiss skier. He laid the foundation for the development
of skiing. In 1849, he mastered a downhill
run to Saas-Grund on self-built skis.
-> The only Alpine World Cup to take place in Saas-
Fee was held in 1988. Adelboden had too little snow,
so the giant slalom was moved from Adelboden to
Saas-Fee to the Plattjen ski area’s black piste. Alberto
Tomba (Tomba la bomba) won. An investment
of three million francs would be needed to make the
piste able to host the World Cup – an unrealistic
sum.
-> In 1984, Wham shot their famous video for ‘Last
Christmas’ in Saas-Fee. They actually wanted to
film in Gstaad, but there wasn’t enough snow. Here
is the tour itinerary for the ‘Last Christmas’ video
shoot: Felskinn valley station, Hotel FerienART (now
known as Walliserhof), Steinmatten cultural centre
(indoor shots were filmed there) + chalet in the hamlet
of ‘Schliechte’: the famous Last Christmas chalet
...
-> Saas-Fee is only 120 kilometres from Milan as the
crow flies. In clear weather, you can see the lights
of Milan from the revolving restaurant. And vice versa:
from the Torre Branca lookout tower in Milan, you
can see the Mischabel massif of Saas-Fee.
-> The Monte Moro Pass and the Antrona Pass were
once important crossings to the south, also known
as smuggling routes.
-> The Counterfeiters (1925), the most famous work
of the Nobel Prize in Literature winner André Gide
(1869–1951), is set in Saas-Fee (and Paris).
-> Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902)
spent two weeks in Saas-Fee in 1896. There is a
bust in front of the Saas Museum + plaque at the
Hotel Metropol, the successor of the building he
originally stayed in.
-> Carl Zuckmayer (1896–1977), one of the most-performed
playwrights in the German-speaking world
in the second half of the 20th century, lived in Saas-
Fee from 1957–1977 (in Haus Vogelweid). There is a
Carl Zuckmayer trail with quote stones.
‘A day not spent here in Saas-Fee is like half a day
for me.’ (Carl Zuckmayer)
-> Visitors to the Saas Fee/Saas Valley destination
can benefit from numerous discounts thanks to the
SaastalCard. All patrons of our partner organisations
receive our SaastalCard visitor ticket and can thus
take advantage of countless attractions in the area,
such as unlimited usage of the PostBus throughout
the entire Saas Valley. In summer, visitors with the
SaastalCard can use all mountain lifts (except for
the Metro Alpin) in the Saas Valley for free, starting
from a stay of one night.
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